News

Five LDA officials sacked

LAHORE, March 12: Three building inspectors of the Lahore Development Authority were forcibly retired from service on Saturday after they were found involved in construction of illegal high-rises in the Punjab capital, while two clerks were sacked for not joining a probe.

Besides, departmental proceedings against another official were stopped after his death while two junior clerks were dismissed from service for not joining an inquiry into the alleged sale of precious plots from destitute quota through forged or fake documents.

The building inspectors who were slapped forced retirement are Riaz Akhtar Khokhar, Aamir Rashid and Pervaiz Khurshid Shah while proceedings against late Muhammad Farooq were stopped.

The High-Rise Commission, constituted under the directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan for inspecting illegal plazas in the city, had recommended proceedings against the officials.

Departmental proceedings were initiated against these officials on charges of conniving with owners of several commercial structures constructed without any building plan and on residential plots. The accused officers neither took any action against the violators nor reported the irregularities as proven in the departmental proceedings.

Meanwhile, junior clerks Sohail Zafar and Muhammad Jehangir were dismissed from service on Saturday.

Both the officials had been absent from their duty since Feb 11 last year. A show cause notice under PEDA Act 2006 was served upon them. In order to provide them an opportunity of defence, a notice was also got published in national press on Feb 11 this year, asking them to appear within seven days before the LDA director (administration) and submit proof, if any, in their defence. However, the both did not contact any LDA officer. The Authority imposed major penalty of removal from service upon both the accused officials.